I’m going to be completely honest with you: this video was made out of frustration. I have been stewing over something for months, and this video is my indirect response to it.
You see, I believe that we are entering somewhat unprecedented waters in our Church (and world). The rise of social media has allowed for ideas to spread faster than they have ever spread. People who would have otherwise had no influence on the world are now some of the loudest voices, shaping the world we live in. Even in our Church, there are many unhealthy online who do nothing but spread fear, division, and misinformation. I am speaking of individuals, but I am also speaking to the likes of Church Militant and LifeSite News, organizations that claim to speak in the name of the Church but care nothing of Church authority, actual Church teaching, mercy, forgiveness, or loving one’s enemies. They paint a picture of the Church in crumbles, pick and choose what aspects of the Church is most fitting to them, and rouse people to anger and despair.
I am more than a bit disgusted by the coverage I see of pope Francis by these individuals and organizations. I saw a priest on Twitter last week bragging about celebrating a mass of exorcism for the pope and Vatican. One “Catholic” newspaper claimed that it would no longer refer to the man in the Vatican as “Pope Francis,” only “Jorge Bergoglio.” Many have spread blatant lies in an attempt to defraud the pope.
To these people, I present this video. To these people—people who are so concerned that “Pope Francis is ruining the Church”—I ask a simple question: do you even believe in God? It is a harsh question, but an important one. Anyone who is going to sit there and tell the world that the Pope is ruining the Church, that it is up to low-level journalists to “save the Church” from the validly ordained and theologically trained, does not believe that Jesus is in charge. They treat the Church as a human institution, just like everything else.
I have no time for this nonsense. I have no time for despair, no time for hysterics and prophets of doom. Either you believe that God is in charge, or you don’t.
So which is it?
